Grinder system with replaceable clay embedded disc

ABSTRACT

A grinding system that can include a polisher.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional U.S. patent application, which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. provisional application No. 61/976,957 filed Apr. 8, 2014.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The U.S. auto detailing industry is worth about $9 billion with an annual growth of 2.3%. Automobile owners are paying more and more money to keep their automobiles looking new. As a consequence, automobile detailers are looking for more efficient ways of detailing the exterior of automobiles.

Automotive clay, also called detailing clay, is commonly used to remove dirt, grime and other contaminants from the finished surfaces. Although detailing clay is most often used on automobiles and other similar surfaces, it also cleans glass and chrome surfaces. Generally, detailing clay is used with a surfactant. The surfactant can be water, or some combination of chemicals/organics and water.

Detailing clay is commonly manufactured and distributed in bars or in thin flat discs which the detailer holds in hand and manually moves over the finished surface. Because the clay is soft and pliable, the bar or disc usually degrades and becomes contaminated in the detailer's hands after a few minutes causing a large amount of unused clay to be discarded.

What is needed is a grinding system that includes features which allow interchangeable pads, polishers, or abrasives which can be easily be used. The grinding system must be able to efficiently use clay or similar abrasives and reduce the amount of waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a grinding system that includes a polisher where the grinding system allows more efficient and effective use detailing clay or similar abrasives. Another object of this invention is to provide on system that can both grind and polish reducing the need for multiple apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a side, exploded view of an embodiment of the grinder system;

FIG. 2 is side, exploded view of an of the grinder system that includes a polisher attached directly to a reinforced clay disc;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a reinforced clay disc;

FIG. 4 is a front, exploded view of an embodiment of the grinder system;

FIG. 5 is a side, exploded view of an embodiment of the grinder system that includes attachable polisher.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set for herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that although the invention may be described in a particular shape or size, those dimensions are made for exemplary purposes only. A person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention can be produced any geometric shape and size. Although the invention may be described with or without a motor/engine 50, it should be noted that all embodiments may include a motor/engine or other mechanism to automate the invention.

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a grinding system 10, that includes a polisher 12 with a foam layer 20 removably attached to the polisher's lower surface 16. Preferably, the foam layer 20 is made of open cell foam. Preferably, attached to the lower surface 16 of the foam pad 20 is a replaceable, reinforced clay disc 30. Different hook and loop connector pads may be attached to the lower surface 16 of the polisher 12, to the upper 24 and lower 26 surfaces on the foam pad 20 and to the upper surface 34 of the reinforced clay pad 30 to allow for easy exchangeability.

Preferably, during use, the reinforced clay disc 30 is attached to the lower surface 26 of the foam pad 20 or attached to the lower surface 16 of the polisher 12. An optional surfactant maybe used to improve the abrasive properties of the clay disk 30. The optional surfactant may be absorbed into the foam pad 20 and dispensed onto the treated surface when the polisher 12 is forced downward towards the surface to be treated. Alternatively, the surfactant may be sprayed directly onto the treated surface.

Preferably, the bottom layer 16 of the polisher 16 comprises a hook connector pad and the top surface 24 of the foam pad 20 is a complimentary loop connector pad 20. The bottom surface 26 of the foam pad 20 comprises a hook connector pad and the top surface 34 of the reinforced clay disc 30 comprises a loop connector pad. However, any connection method allowing easy replacement of the clay disk 30 and the foam pad 20 from the polisher

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the grinding system, denoted 10′ that includes with the top surface 34 of the removable reinforced clay disc 30 attached directly to the lower surface 16 on the polisher 12.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a reinforced clay disc 30 showing the top surface 34 and the lower embedded clay layer 36. Preferably, the clay disc 30 includes clay material which is comprised of plastic flexible grinding material forcibly embedded into a semi-flexible substrate improving durability of the clay disc. Preferably, the clay disk 30 has a thickness of 0.010 to 0.060 inches.

FIG. 4 is a front, exploded view of an embodiment of the grinding system 10, that includes a polisher 12 with a removable foam layer 20 removably attached to the polisher's lower surface 16. Preferably, the foam layer 20 is made of open cell foam. Preferably, attached to the lower surface 16 of the foam pad 20 is a replaceable, reinforced clay disc 30. Different hook and loop connector pads may be attached to the lower surface 16 of the polisher 12, to the upper 24 and lower 26 surfaces on the foam pad 20 and to the upper surface 34 of the reinforced clay pad 30 to allow for easy exchangeability.

FIG. 5 is a side, exploded view of an embodiment of the grinding system 10 that includes attachable polisher 60. Preferably, the bottom layer 61 of the polisher 60 is comprised of a flat surface foam pad or other similar material. Preferably, the bottom surface of the grinding surface 62 is comprised of a hook connector pad and the top surface 63 of the polisher is comprised of a loop connecter pad. However, any connection method allowing easy replacement of the polisher can be used. 

We claim:
 1. A grinding system comprising: a. a polisher with lower flat surface; b. a removable foam pad selectively attached to the lower surface of the polisher, where the foam pad includes a lower foam pad surface.
 2. The grinding system of claim 1 further comprising reinforced clay selectively attached either to the lower foam pad surface foam when said foam pad.
 3. The grinding system of claim 2 where the reinforced clay includes an upper layer of hook or loop connector material and a layer of plastic flexible grinding material partially embedded into said upper layer of hook or loop connector material.
 4. The grinding system of claim 1 further comprising a removable block where, the removable block is comprised of a top and a bottom surface.
 5. The grinding system of claim 4 where the removable block is operably attached to the lower foam pad surface.
 6. The grinding system of claim 5 further comprising reinforced clay selectively attached either to said the bottom surface of the plastic block.
 7. The grinding system of claim 6 further comprising a flexible grinding material selectively attached either to the bottom plastic block surface. 